The New European Patent Office Building by Ateliers Jean Nouvel and Dam & Partners Architecten

New EPO Building
New EPO Building
Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode

The European Patent Office inaugurated yesterday its new premises in Rijswijk, near the Hague, in the presence of His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and the architects Jean Nouvel and Diederik Dam, during a ceremony hosted by EPO President Benoît Battistelli. The building is the slimmest and tallest glass and steel construction of its kind in Europe. It unites bold contemporary architecture with a modern, sophisticated infrastructure.

New EPO Building
Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode

This new site stands as a symbol of EPO’s commitment to provide a state-of-the-art, environmentally sustainable workplace for some 2 000 staff members over 85 000 square metres. Financed entirely from the EPO’s own means, the building also testifies to EPO’s close relations with the Netherlands, and is a visual expression of the Office’s dedication to innovation.

New EPO Building
Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode

The new EPO building was designed by renowned architects Ateliers Jean Nouvel of Paris and Dam & Partners Architecten of Amsterdam. Described by Jean Nouvel as being “calm and serene”, the structure draws upon the Dutch landscape, with its reflective glass surface reproducing the sky, land and water around it.

New EPO Building
Photo © Ossip van Duivenbode

The office building has a gross floor area of 85 000m2 and measures 156m in length, 107m in height and just 12.6m in width. Since the building’s profile is especially slender, despite being 27 floors high, it allows light to pass through at many vantages creating a sense of transparency. The interior and exterior combine urban modernism and natural elements such as light, flora and water.

New EPO Building
Scheme

The new premises provide a state-of-the-art workspace for some 2 000 staff as well as additional facilities such as meeting rooms, a training centre, coffee corner/restaurant and a sky garden. The new building stands as a powerful visual representation of the EPO’s commitment to its staff, the local community, the Netherlands and the promotion of innovation in Europe and around the globe. Source by EPO.

New EPO Building
Program
  • Location: Patentlaan 2, 2288 EE RIJSWIJK, The Netherlands
  • Architect: Ateliers Jean Nouvel, Dam & Partners Architecten
  • Project leaders Competition: Jean-François Winninger, Haakon Brouwer
  • Development and Execution: Bernard Duprat, Merlijn Pennings
  • Architects / engineers: Karam Antwan, Marie-Hélène Baldran, Maurice van den Berg, Paolo Carignano, Henk Heijink, Astrid Hopfner, Medard Jordan, Alexander Lefebvre, Mark Linenberger, Kirsi Marjamaki, Jose Millan, Serena Minacci, Glenn Mostaard, Daniele Pasin, Julien Pasteau, Andre Procopio, Mathias Raasch, Marc Stoop, Martin Tegaldo, Caterina Vetrugno, Bram Waumans
  • Computer generated images: Benjamin Alcover, Mathieu van Ek, Kyra Frankort , Peter Hoste, Michael Kafassis, Mizuho Kishi, Sébastien Rageul
  • Graphic design: Martin Gasc, Eugénie Robert, Vatsana Takham, Elise Taponier
  • 3D modelling: Michael Gloudeman, Arjan Noya, Paul Schillemans
  • Interior design: Edwin van Heijningen, Ernesto Mistretta, Nicolas Perrichi, Léo Chapuis
  • Landscape: Laura Giuliani, Sanne Horn, Wim Wijsman
  • Models: Romain Caillon, Rui Pereira, Ursula Tyszkiewicz
  • Artistic: interventions Sculpture in the pond, Jean Nouvel
  • Consortium Constructor: TBI Consortium New Main, consisting of J.P. van Eesteren and Croonwolter&dros
  • Structure: Zonneveld Ingenieurs, Rotterdam
  • Building services: Croonwolter&dros, Deerns
  • Climate, fire safety & acoustics: Peutz, Zoetermeer
  • Landscape: Copijn, Utrecht
  • Client: European Patent Office (EPO)
  • Budget: EUR 250 mil
  • Gross floor area: 85 000m2
  • Year: 2018
  • Photographs: Ossip van Duivenbode, Courtesy of Claudine Colin Communication

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